Воспоминания Шерлока Холмса
The “Gloria Scott”
ForanhourIsatponderingoveritinthegloom,untilatlastaweepingmaidbroughtinalamp,andcloseatherheelscamemyfriendTrevor,palebutcomposed,withtheseverypaperswhichlieuponmykneeheldinhisgrasp.Hesatdownoppositetome,drewthelamptotheedgeofthetable,andhandedmeashortnotescribbled,asyousee,uponasinglesheetofgraypaper.‘ThesupplyofgameforLondonisgoingsteadilyup,"itran.‘Head-keeperHudson,webelieve,hasbeennowtoldtoreceiveallordersforfly-paperandforpreservationofyourhen-pheasant’slife.’
"IdaresaymyfacelookedasbewilderedasyoursdidjustnowwhenfirstIreadthismessage.ThenIrereaditverycarefully.ItwasevidentlyasIhadthought,andsomesecretmeaningmustlieburiedinthisstrangecombinationofwords.Orcoulditbethattherewasaprearrangedsignificancetosuchphrasesas‘fly-paper"and‘hen-pheasant’?Suchameaningwouldbearbitraryandcouldnotbededucedinanyway.AndyetIwasloathtobelievethatthiswasthecase,andthepresenceofthewordHudsonseemedtoshowthatthesubjectofthemessagewasasIhadguessed,andthatitwasfromBeddoesratherthanthesailor.Itrieditbackward,butthecombination‘lifepheasant’shen"wasnotencouraging.ThenItriedalternatewords,butneither‘theoffor"nor‘supplygameLondon"promisedtothrowanylightuponit.
